Blog Post #12

Create Your Own Assignment


I thought long and hard about what I would like to do with this assignment. I considered what I would like to do personally, but I also put myself in an administrator's shoes and tried to think of what I would like to read about on my EDM 310 students' blogs. I kept coming back to something one of my C4T teachers did. Josh Stumpenhorst dedicated a blog post to the 5 things he knows as a teacher. I personally really loved this post and thought it would be a fun thing to do on my own.

So here it is!

Part 1: Assignment

Read Josh Stumpenhorst's blog post 5 Things on his blog Stump The Teacher. After reading his 5 things, think about your area of speciality and write about your 5 things. Follow the requirements in Writing A Quality Blog Post.

Part 2: Do It!

Josh Stumpenhorst wrote the 5 things while he was doing a project in NYC with the Pearson Foundation. He states the 5 things he knows as a teacher. After reading his five things, I have decided on the 5 things I know as an elementary education major. And here they are!


The 5 Things I Know about Elementary Kids


1. They are children... so let them be children.

In today's school system, kids are expected to sit quietly and still in their seats, listen to a teacher lecture, and comprehend everything all day. They are pretty much expected to just be little robots. Kids cannot be expected to perform this routine daily. I mean, they are children! They want to go out and play and have fun. I've been to a school in my hometown and recess there has been cut down to about 15 minutes a day. That is completely ridiculous! That's not enough time for kids to get energy out. Then the teachers wonder why they have such problems getting their students to be still and pay attention. We have to remember that these are elementary kids we are talking about- not adults. Don't try to pump them so full of knowledge that you take away the only time during school that they get to act like a child. I wholeheartedly believe that if we allowed our students more time to simply let them be children, it would help tremendously in their grades and attention spans.


2. Don't kill their imagination- encourage it!

One major thing I have noticed about teachers is a lot of them are so focused on getting their students to see things the "right" way. They don't let their students imagine things; instead, they tell the students how it is. Creativity is crucial for child growth and learning. Let them come up with stories and adventures and don't discourage them no matter how off the wall the story is. If they want to be a carrot when they grow up, let them believe they can be a carrot! I think the ability to imagine things is one of the greatest things a child can do. I mean, if you think about it, every great thing a person has accomplished had to start out as that person imagining it. People imagined going to the moon, and they did. There are many great singers would as a child always imagined being up on a stage one day, and it happened. Imagination and creativity easily leads into great potential. One day, maybe a student will take all the stories he or she has come up with in his/her head and become an award winning author! One thing I really want my students to remember about me is that I NEVER put a damper on their dreams. Instead, I constantly encouraged them to think outside the box, imagine the "impossible", and encouraged them to achieve it!


3. Don't try to conform them to what you think they should be.

I guess it's an age old tale- girls play with flowers, boys play with bugs. Girls are always to be clean; boys are nothing but walking dirt. This mindset can really hinder children. It's obvious that the majority of elementary teachers are women. While I see absolutely no problem with female teachers, I do see a problem with them labeling somethings as "nasty". There have been WAY TOO MANY situations that I have seen teachers discourage their students (girls and boys) from playing with bugs or getting dirty simply because they view it as gross. Teachers have a huge influence on their students. I mean, I remember being in elementary school and wanting to be just like my teacher. If kids are constantly told "that's gross", "that's what boys play with", "thats girly", or any of stereotypical comment, they are going to grow up with that mindset. What if one of those children has the potential to have a great career in a field that deals with insects or reptiles? What if a child who is very interested in others' cuts and scrapes has the potential to become a great surgeon? By telling them not to do something simply because it's nasty is going to make that child grow up with the mindset that what interests them is disgusting, and they won't pursue their interests anymore. Also, that simply just is making boys act girly. Boys (and some girls) are drawn to finding bugs and rolling around in the dirt. Let them! Don't push your views on things on them. They are their own person, and just because you don't like something, doesn't mean they shouldn't either.

4. Don't give up on them.


Children are naturally curious and eager to learn. I do not believe that any child is born dumb. However, I do believe that sometimes kids don't let on to how much they are comprehending. I've experienced times in my job as a preschool teacher when I thought I wasn't teaching well enough, and they weren't understanding anything. Just when I was about to throw my hands up and give up, they decided to show me just how much they understood the material. So just remember: just because they aren't spitting it back to you verbatim does not mean they aren't comprehending what you are teaching.

5. Have random dance parties!

I saved the best for last! Kids love to dance. The beautiful thing about being young is that for the most part you don't care how you look. Kids don't notice if they aren't good dancers; they just notice they are having fun. I love having random dance parties with my preschool and Sunday school class. Not only does it give them a chance to let some energy out, it also gives them a chance to see me dancing and having fun too. I think it is good for our students to see us acting silly with them. So take 30 seconds out of the day and just dance like no one is watching. It's good for the soul!